This invention relates to motor vehicle warning systems and, more particularly, to methods and apparatus involving the emitting of a signal beam from a vehicle to indicate a safe stopping distance relative to a vehicle traveling in tandem therewith.
With an increasing number of automobiles being in use on the world's highways, the occurrence of highway collisions and collision-related injuries continues to rise. Many accidents involve a rear-end collision wherein a lead vehicle is impacted from behind by a trailing vehicle. One major contributing cause of such rear-end collisions is the tendency for the trailing vehicle to travel too closely behind the lead vehicle, often referred to as "tail-gating". As a result, the trailing vehicle is unable to be sufficiently slowed or stopped in emergency situations.
Although such tailgating is often performed intentionally by reckless drivers, it can also be done unintentionally by careless drivers who do not realize the hazzards presented. The absence of any means for warning drivers that they are following too close results in the continuance of this dangerous habit.
Techniques for warning a trailing vehicle that it is following too closely behind a lead vehicle have been heretofore proposed. For example, U.S. Lusebrink Pat. No. 3,571,790 discloses a warning system wherein a light is carried by a motor vehicle and is operable to display to other vehicles a differently colored light in accordance with the speed of the carrying vehicle. Apparatus of this type, besides requiring use of a relatively large and complex lens system, may prove confusing to drivers who have limited color distinguishing ability.
It is an object of the invention to avoid or alleviate disadvantages associated with previously proposed warning systems.
It is another object of the invention to provide novel methods and apparatus for warning drivers when their vehicles are traveling too close to a tandemly traveling vehicle.
It is another object of the invention to provide such novel vehicle warning methods and apparatus which provide a clear warning without the need for distinguishing colors.
It is a further object of the invention to provide such novel methods and apparatus for regulating the warning signal in accordance with vehicle speed.
It is yet another object of the invention to provide such methods and apparatus that are easily and economically adaptable to presently available automobiles.